Often times a heat sink is provided to dissipate heat generated by electrical components that are mounted to a printed circuit board (“PCB”). To maximize the amount of thermal energy transferred from the PCB to the heat sink, the surface area of the PCB in contact with the heat sink should be maximized. Because of surface imperfections of the two surfaces, better thermal transfer is achieved when pressure is applied to the PCB.
Additionally, PCBs are often mounted to a structure, whether that structure be a heat sink or not. Fastening the PCB to the structure is typically accomplished with a screw.